Endless-chain tractor



e. H. BUGENHAGEN. ENDLESS CHAIN TRACTOR.

APPLICATION Fl-LED DEC. 12, I918 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 3mm Feb. 22, 1921.

w N V e V a 4 y a a. H. ,BUGENHAGEN.

ENDLESS CHAIN TRACTOR.

M'PLICATION FILED DEC 12, I918.

- 369,892; Patentd Feb. 22,1921

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

tractors, and has PATENT @Fiii stereo STATES GEQRGE.H. BUGENHAGEN, 0F MINOT, NGETH DAKOTA.

ENDLESS-CHAIN (DRAWER-73 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 12,1918. Serial 1T0. 266,457,

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character provided with a truss like arrangement whereby the tread is supported between the carrier wheels without the necessity for employing the usual tread wheels.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character of improved arrangement of the coupling links to insure increased efficiency of the operation.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a device of this character having, means whereby lateral thrust or displacement is obviated.

(lther objects as well as the nature,-characteristic features, and scope of this invention will he more readily apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and pointe'd outin the claims, forming av part of this specification.

T he invention i clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of a portion of one of the chains showing the relative position of the parts when passing around one of the wheels. 1

Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section through one of the chains and looking toward the inner face of the tread thereof, and 'Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section of the bushing between the links and the axle or pin.

5 is a sectional detail illustrating the construction and operation of the links.

Fig. 6 is a detached perspective View of the base frame of the shoes, viewed from the inner side.

Fig. 7 is a detached perspective view of the base frame 01" the shoes viewed from the road engaging side.

Similar characters of reference are e ployed in all of the above described views to indicate corresponding parts.

The improvdfldevice inchi'des, a .lriver 7 wheel .1 and, a pilot wheel 3 over wln'cirtlie improted tnussed chain tread operates The outer surface of the driver wheel is' provide with transverse recesses or grooves 4K to p wns tveth for the chain tread, and in addit on is formed with a peripheral groove rnedlall of its cdgesf'asindicated by dotted lines, or a purpose that will presently ail-- pear, while thepilot wheel. may he formed with a smooth surface thronghont, except Patented Feb. 22, 192i.

for a similar peripheral groove indicated 'hythe dotted line ii.

The improved device consists generaily oi outer chains each having a truss construe tion for coacting with and supporting inner collapsible chains. Specifically, the outer chain is composed of a pluraiity o1": triangular shaped iinhs each including a. base por tion 8 and diverging portions 3,425. arranged in opposed relation with each other, the base portions 8 being diagonally; disposed so as to position the hearings 1.0 at the ends thereoi out of aiinernent to enable the hearings to engage face to face upon the connecting pins or pintlcs 11. In addition, the base portions 8 are formed with lateral flanges 12 to which are connected the tread shoes 13, the latter being disposed trans versely of the chain and connected to the flanges on' opposing links by fasteners M. In addition, the inner surfaces of these shoes are provided medially of their side edges with cups or cavities 20 for a purpose bearings it on the portion 8 are fitted with wear bushings 16, through which the pint-issthat will presently appear. The outermost lib!) are rigidly connected with the pins or pintles 11 in any desiredmanner, .and are protected from undue wear by bearing washers 23 disposed between them. The arms 18 at one side 'of the center of the pintles.11 extend in one direction and in alinement with each other, while the arms 18 at the other side extend inalinement with each other but in theopposite direction, the

arrangement being clearly indicated in Fig.

3, so that the last mentioned arms coact with the groove of the driver wheel while the first mentioned arms coact with the corresponding groove 5 in the pilot wheel when the movement of the tread is in one direction, but the action is vice versa when the movement is in the opposite direction. The cups 20 in the shoes receive the outer portions of the arms 18 when the tread is pass ing around the wheels, as shown in Fig. 5.

Theconverging portions 3 of the truss chain are formed with bearin s to receive substantial collapsible, action insuring the effective operation of the tread'in its entirety about the wheels, and in'addition when straightened between the driving and pilot wheels, operate to maintain the entire tread rigid between the main supporting wheels, as is apparent.

In use, as the tread chains move in a direc- 3 tion as indicated by the arrow, thesleeve portions 19 of the members 18 will be engaged by the recesses or grooves t of the driver 1, while the corresponding arms 18' will operte in the peripheral groove 5 to coact therewith in guiding the relative movement of the tread with respect to the wheels and effectually preventing lateraldisplacement of the chains and treads. Likewise these same arms 18 will coact with the corresponding peripheral groove-5 in the pilotwheel 2.. During the time the arms coact with the grooves the links 24 forming the inner chain 7 Wlllt collapse, that is, they will move relative to each other to permit of the tread moving about'the wheels 1 and 2. The bushings 16 take up thewear, keep the outer chains in proper, position and within predeterminedlimits. When the collapsible chains 7 are straightened out between the two wheels they, operate as braces to the truss chains composed of the triangular plurality op- V 1,eea,aeav I the employment of the tread wheels which are now used on practically all crawler type tractors. The constant renewalof the tread wheelsowing to the excessive wear, et cetera, is very expensive, while the present trussed 'chain construction is cheaper and more efi fectiv'e in operation.

e coacting arms 18 are an important 'feature in the construction as they receive the lateral thrust wh'enthe chains are passe ing around the wheels '1 and'2, and relieve the chainsverylargely from such strains.

The arms 18 as before stated, are rigidly coupled to the pintles 11, for instance by fins or blocks 27 fitting in suitable recesses or. seats 28- in the pins 11, and enga 'ng in keyways or channels '29 in the hu 5 or sleeves 19, in a well known manner as shown in Fig. 3.

By this means the" arms of each pin are rigidly coupled thereto and vibrate therewit The arms which extend ,in one direction form a track for the driver wheel 1 and the arms which extend, in the opposite direction form a track for the pilot wheel'2.

Thus when the machine is moving for-- wardly the arms which extend inone direction serve as a track to the pilot wheel, while the other arms move as idlers, and-are received at their outer ends in the pockets 20 of the shoes 13, as they move around the wheels, and when the machine moves in the opposite direction the arms will operate in reverse'orde'r, as will be obvious.

What is claimed as new is-- I 1. "In an apparatus of the class described,

a drivingwheel and a pilot wheel provided respectively with peripheral grooves, coacting traction tread devices in spaced relation and each formed with a plurality of links hingedly coupled by transversel directed pintles and operating around sai wheels at oppositesides of the grooves thereof, and track arms rigidly connected to said pintles and extendingin opposite directions therefrom and in longitudinal alinement, the arms which extend 1n one direction operating in the grooves of the wheel's'and the arms which extend in the opposi e direction running idle when the machine s moving in one direction, and the operation of the track arms reversed when the machine is moving in the opposite direction. I

2. In an apparatus of the class described,

a driving wheel and pilot wheel, coacting traction tread devicesin spaced relation and each formed with plurality of links hingedly coupled by transversely dlrected pintles and operating, around said wheels, and tract:

lot

arms l igidily cenmted to said pintles anti pintles and operating around; said wheels, extending in opposite directions therefrom and track arms rigidly connected 11 said mmi in longitudifial alinement pintles and extending *mepppsite directions 10 I, 3. In an apparatus'of the class described, therefrom and in lungitudin'al alinement. '5 a driving wheel and Pilot wheel, traction In testimony whemfil aflix my signature tread device formed 0 a plurality 0f linkaj hexetoq hingedly coupled by transversely directed" GEORGE H. BUGENHAGENJ 

